


Falling Apart at the Seams

by Anneliza



Series: Stay True [2]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series), Thomas Sanders, Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Anxiety Attacks, Drama, Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-17
Updated: 2019-06-27
Packaged: 2019-06-28 19:57:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15714039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anneliza/pseuds/Anneliza
Summary: After many months of attempted healing, Deceit is back and determined to fulfill his goal with his new idea. This time he's sure it will work which could spell the end of all involved if they can't prevent his interference in their lives but he may have help from an unfamiliar source.





	1. Chapter 1

Several months had passed since Virgil’s sight, hearing and mobility had been restored and he had returned to his own room. Roman’s back had healed well and the scars had faded until they could only be seen under certain lighting conditions. The four Sides had been spending more time together than ever before so they knew each other’s smallest quirks to make sure they would never be tricked again. They never wanted to feel the pain and guilt they had just gone through and couldn’t forgive themselves for not noticing that one of their own had been replaced for over a month.

To aid them, the group had created a code system to keep themselves safe from all the Sides lurking on the other side of Thomas’ mind. If any of them suspected that any of the others was acting oddly, they would ask him a strange question that only the four of them knew the answer to, no matter what they were doing. So far the system had been used nearly a dozen times with more than half of the instances being inaccurate. Each time it was discovered that another had tried to join their midst, the imposter was dispelled and the code was changed secretly. The code had been used during meals, activities, and once in Thomas’ living room to his confusion.

Watching Patton spew nonsense at Roman who responded with his own, apparently incorrect if the way Virgil punched him in the face was anything to go by, nonsense, made his head spin. However when Deceit was suddenly standing in Roman’s place, he leapt back, suddenly understanding. The man gave his usual annoyed remark and disappeared before Logan explained the code system they were using to prevent more occurrences like that while Patton went to retrieve Roman. He shrugged slightly, still a little thrown off by how quickly the issue had been dealt with, and simply said it was a good idea. As Patton popped up with the royal Side, he continued with the topic for which he called them.

* * *

 “Now then, today makes the twelfth attempt to infiltrate us,” Logan stated as he marked it on the board they had installed in their shared kitchen. “We still do not know why he is trying to do so but seeing as the last one was only last week-” He pointed to the mark on the board that signified the last ambush. “It seems that they are increasing in frequency.” With a long sigh, he pushed his glasses up his nose. “It would also seem that we did not successfully deter him even with Virgil’s…persuasion…”

They looked at the Side sitting with his feet on the table, gently rubbing his bandaged knuckles.

“I really thought that black eye would make him give up,” the Side in question muttered tersely, glaring at the wall.

“You tried really hard!” Patton encouraged, as he subtly moved Virgil’s feet to the floor. “I thought he was done after that!”

Pulling out his sword, Roman yelled, “You should have let me fight him! If I had crossed swords with him, he would not dare to trouble us again!”

“I actually agree with Roman for once,” Virgil said with a snicker. “If Roman stabbed him, he couldn’t bother us anymore.”

The older two Sides frowned at him while Roman laughed quietly before the frowns were directed at him and he was bit his lip sheepishly.

“We can focus on that later,” Logan began, trying to redirect the conversation. “For now we need to create a new code.” Virgil caught Roman’s eye and winked before turning away quickly so Patton wouldn’t notice and scold him. Really though, if he was… _incapacitated_ …he couldn’t keep popping up and bothering them. “As you know, I always have a few on hand in case we need them.”

Patton gasped, “You shouldn’t keep them on your hand, Logan! What if Deceit or another Dark Side reads the response off your thumb?”

As Logan breathed deeply in frustration, the other three giggled.

Continuing like nothing had interrupted him, Logan declared, “Our new code will be-”

A sharp pain suddenly crashed through Virgil’s head and his hand shot up to rest against his forehead. He slumped forward, world narrowing down to pain and pain alone. And then it was gone. What had that been about?

“And the response will be-”

There it was again! He grabbed at his head and held it tightly as it lasted for quite a bit longer. What was happening? Ripples of pain washed over him like something, or someone, was kicking against skull from the inside. Someone? Why had he chosen the word someone to describe the pain he was experiencing?

Oh no.

No.

No no no.

Darting to his feet, Virgil kept his gaze firmly on the floor and ran as fast as he could to his room. He ignored the confused calls as he sprinted away from them, he had to get away from them as fast as he could. The door was slammed behind him and locked tightly. Staring at it for a few moments, he shook his head. That wasn’t safe enough. If he was right, the others wouldn’t be safe with just that. He conjured four more locks on his door and locked them too before he felt he could step away from the door.

A mirror was on a wall on the far side of the room. He raced over to it.

_‘Please please please. Please no. Please don’t be there. Please be normal. Please be brown. Please don’t let me see anything else.’_

Taking a shaky breath, he slowly raised his head and opened his eyes to look at himself in the mirror.

Faded purple hair hid one of his shapely eyebrows and framed a thin, pale face with prominent cheek bones. A strong nose protruded towards the glass and a soft jawline curled around the edges while dark eyeliner accentuated his wide, terrified eyes and his pink lips trembled. But none of those caught his attention. Feeling his heart drop into his stomach, he saw that his irises were glowing a deep violet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I finished the first story, there were a few people saying that the ending sounded like there should be a sequel and well...after a lot of thinking about how to make a sequel...I agreed. I hadn't planned on making one, I hadn't thought it sounded like a sequel hook but after rereading it, I saw what people saw and started thinking of how I could possibly make a sequel out of what I had written. It took a bit of planning but I think I figured out something that will be on a similar level of length and plot depth but different enough from the first part that it will still be enjoyable so stick around!


	2. Chapter 2

Three days passed with no word from the anxious Side. Each of the others had tried to draw him out of his room but the door was firmly locked and no sound escaped from inside. Even his phone had been turned off which they had discovered when they had tried calling it shortly after he had run off. They were starting to grow worried but the other was forcibly keeping them out and there was nothing they could do to get in so they had to wait and see if he came out on his own. None of them were happy with the solution and took turns keeping watch on his door.

Currently it was Roman’s watch while Logan strode quickly around his own room yanking thick volumes off the towering bookshelves lining the walls. The books were tossed to Patton who laid them on the desk in the middle of the room. It had been moved and enlarged while Logan frantically researched a way into Virgil’s room or a reason for his sudden departure. Four feet of its surface was covered in open books that were scattered around his laptop and the notebook he had been scribbling in again.

The trio were sure that the last of their group was still functioning however since they had checked on Thomas soon after Virgil’s disappearance. He seemed to be unaware of the situation and promised to inform them of any strange mood changes or thoughts immediately. Patton checked in with him every six hours even if Thomas did not convey any concerns just to be sure. The most Thomas had conveyed was a slight feeling of dread as well as a heightened sense of anxiety but nothing near what he had experienced months ago which relieved the others.

A final book was passed to Patton and set down on the desk. Sighing deeply, Patton wiped his forehead and sat down on the beige sheets, watching Logan feverishly flip through pages and make notes. Without looking up, the scholar responded, “He will be fine, Patton.”

The words were comforting even if given in the same nearly expressionless voice but some of the comfort was lost when Patton noticed the slight tremble. As hard as it was for him to understand or express it, Logan was just as worried as the rest of them but was doing what he could to help. That was the only way he could soothe himself. Researching solutions was a form of relief just as helping Thomas or standing guard was for Patton or Roman.

Pushing himself to his feet, the emotional one strolled to the other’s side. As he walked, he conjured a chair and sat down in it when he was feet away from the other.

“How can I help, Logan?”

* * *

There were slight indentations in the carpet from his pacing. He had been fighting for three days. He had to stay himself. If he lost, he could lose everything. Everyone. They had been safe for years now so why was that in danger of changing? He had been so careful. Buried him so far down that even  _he_ didn’t know where he laid inside of himself.

But he had been quiet for a day now. Maybe it was safe to come out? Maybe he could tell the others? Maybe they could help?

No! What was he thinking? If he told them, they wouldn’t help him. They would send him back.

His heart stopped.

They wouldn’t send him back. _They would destroy him._ Maybe Thomas would stop them?

He paused in his pacing.

Thomas. No, Thomas could never know about him. Thomas would help the others destroy him and he would be gone forever. He needed to deal with this on his own. He had for years now and he could keep it up for as long as he needed to.

Biting his lip, he peered over his shoulder at where his mirror was hidden. After he had seen his reflection, no the _wrong_ reflection too many times, he had covered it with a sheet. He was going to try again. If everything was right, he could go out. He was safe. He could be with his friends. _They_ were safe.

The sheet was thick though not heavy however the fear of what could be on the other side made him pause. His hand shook violently before he took a deep breath and ripped it off to see himself. Just himself. Virgil was looking back at him.

Small tears rolled down his cheeks but he didn’t bother to wipe them away in his euphoria. He was himself. There was nothing to worry about. He was gone. Quiet giggles spilled out of his mouth as he walked over to his door, unlocked the many locks, and slowly pulled it open.

Leaning against the wall in front of him was Roman. The creative Side’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped open in surprise.

“He’s back!” the royal yelled in relief before approaching him hesitantly. Excited cries echoed out of the scholar’s room before Patton came running at him and hugging him tightly.

“I was so worried about you! Are you alright? You’re crying! What’s wrong? Why did you go away? Did someone hurt you? Did Deceit come after you?”

“Patton,” Logan began as he placed his hand on the other’s shoulder and gently pulled him away. “Give him some space.” The older Side began apologizing at the same rapid speed that he had been asking questions while Logan inspected him. “Where does one go to escape reality?” he asked quietly.

Instantly Patton’s mouth closed and he listened closely with the other two, stepping away from the newcomer.

“The bottom of the ocean,” Virgil replied without blinking.

“And if there is no room?”

“Then you ask Celestia for the keys.”

The other three visibly sighed.

“Oh Virgil,” Logan breathed, shoulders dropping. “I am glad you are with us.” He turned and beckoned the group to follow him. “We need to talk about what happened.” None of them needed him to say _‘You scared me’_ ; it was clear in Logan’s subtext. Instead, they simply followed him into his room and watched him firmly close the door. The bookshelves covered three walls while his bed and dresser occupied the last. The cream colored walls eased them all when they stepped inside. Waving his hand, Logan replaced the massive desk with three rigid chairs that the trio sat in, letting Virgil sit on the softer bed. “First, we cannot use that code again since it was the one we used to catch Deceit but you ran off when I was explaining the new one so I will quickly teach you the new one.” Virgil tensed, worried that learning the new code could awaken him again but luckily it didn’t. “Second, you need to explain to us what happened. You suddenly ran off and disappeared for three days. That is not normal behavior.”

Avoiding their eyes, Virgil stared at the floor. _’Don’t tell them. Don’t tell them. Don’t tell them.'_

“While we were talking, I started to feel ill. I got a horrible headache and couldn’t stand the lights so I went to my room where it was darker.” It wasn’t really a lie but just altering the truth a little so he didn’t feel bad. He hated telling lies to his friends and they always found their way to Deceit and he wasn’t giving that man any more power. “I didn’t feel well for the last few days but I’m better now.”

He smiled a little at them and they seemed to buy the story.

“Well next time let us know and we’ll take care of you! You know that!”

“I didn’t want you to after what you all have already done for me.”

That one wasn’t a lie.

Roman shrugged.

“Alright. Well let’s go tell Thomas that you’re back and maybe the five of us can watch a movie.”

The other three agreed and disappeared. Virgil waited in Logan’s room. Peering around, he saw that Logan did not have a mirror in his room so he conjured a small hand mirror. He quickly checked his appearance and noticed that nothing had changed since leaving his room. Soothed, he shoved the mirror into his pocket and went to Thomas’ side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The 'code' Logan and Virgil used is just some nonsense I made up at midnight. It's meant to not make sense so that the answer can't be worked out on your own.


	3. Chapter 3

Things had gone smoothly for the group for nearly two weeks. Each day had been marked off on the calendar without any form of interception from Deceit which both comforted and concerned them. He had not been quiet for this long in quite a while. They had stayed on their guard anyway but it was nice to relax a little. Tonight they were planning on spending time with Thomas again.

Virgil pulled the mirror out to check his appearance one last time before slipping it back and joining the others. They were already preparing for the evening but greeted him warmly when he materialized in front of them. Patton was cooking, Logan was setting up chairs around a table, and Roman was arranging supplies on top of the table. They were going to have a sleepover and Roman was in charge of activities. The first thing he had decided the group should do was give each other makeovers. Surprisingly only Logan had protested this idea as he preferred not to have his face touched but Roman had promised to be gentle and do only very little on him.

Seeing as he wasn’t needed, Virgil sat next to Thomas.

“How are you feeling?” he asked quietly.

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” Thomas asked with a hollow laugh. “You scared us all when you disappeared.”

The anxious Side shrugged indifferently.

“I was fine. I was still doing my job, wasn’t I?”

“I guess so.” He sighed and Virgil’s eyes locked onto him immediately. Waving his hand he said, “Don’t worry. I’m just a little tired. Roman can take all my energy sometimes.”  Virgil nodded. He understood that. “But I’ve felt fine these last few weeks. Better than I have in a while. I hope that means good things.”

“All ready!” Roman cried, sweeping his arms back to show the massive display of make-up covering the surface of the table. “Who wants to go first?”

“I do!” Patton cheered, running in with plates full of food. “Umm…” He peered around and decided to lay them down on the counter so they could still be reached. “There!”

They all watched Roman give Patton his makeover, occasionally getting up to get snacks. Laughter and easy chatter floated around the room, letting them all feel at peace and enjoy themselves. Soon Roman declared he was finished and Patton turned around to show off his new look.

Roman had chosen to use a faint blue eyeshadow to accentuate his eyes and created a cat eye over his eyelids. Blush dusted his cheeks while a matching pale pink covered his lips in a shiny gloss.

“Beautiful!”

“Nice!”

“Your aesthetic is quite pleasing.”

“Thank you!”

“Your turn, Virgil!”

Virgil reeled back in surprise, not expecting to be called up second. He would have thought he would be last in the line up.

“What? Why me?”

“Because you’ve got the next best make up skills. after me of course, so you’re going to be the hardest and I want to do you before I run out of ideas!” Sighing loudly, though it was mostly for show, he stood up and swapped places with Patton. Roman stared at him for a few minutes. “Got it!” He picked up a make up wipe and regarded Virgil seriously. “I want to start from scratch, can I wipe off your eyeshadow?”

Once again the anxious Side was surprised. Roman was honestly considering his feelings. He didn’t just jump in and wipe it away. He understood that as insignificant as it might be to other people, it was important to him so he needed that permission to remove it. Even if he was possibly going to add it back.

He nodded and the cool cloth started gently wiping at his eyes. It pulled a little at his skin but he sat perfectly still and let the royal work. A dull ache started in the back of his head but he tried to ignore it. He could hold off for a little bit. He could make an excuse and leave just as soon as Roman was done. Everything would be fine.

A filthy wipe was tossed into the trash and Roman tried to decide between two eyeshadow palettes. A light of inspiration suddenly struck the other and he snatched one, tearing it open and starting to quickly apply a violet color.

 “You should wear this color more, Virgil,” he said happily. “It matches your eyes. I guess I’ve never noticed it before now.”

Virgil jerked away from him and froze in terror. He tore the mirror out of his pocket and, to his horror, saw that Roman was right. His eyes were glowing slightly purple again. Before anyone else could see, he dragged his hood over his head and sank out.

He reappeared in his room as the ache started to grow worse. He darted over to the door and locked all the locks quickly before the pain was too much. The last attack had been nowhere near this bad. Dropping to his knees, he gripped his head and tried not to throw up. He hoped it would pass soon but the pain only seemed to be getting worse. He started to feel himself losing control and punched the wall as hard as he could.

He didn’t feel the pain but he did hear an amused laugh.

_‘That’s not going to be enough to push me back. You’ve kept me down for years. It’s my turn to play.’_

 “You’re staying exactly where you are!”

Virgil turned and took all his rage out on the wall until his knuckles were bleeding and the wall was full of holes.

‘ _You are just making a mess. Make things simple and give in.’_

“No!”

Throwing himself down on his bed, he tossed back and forth as he continued to clutch his head. It was aching so much he feared it might split in two.

‘ _You want to be a ‘nice Side’ now. Be a nice Side and let me free!’_

“You’ll hurt Thomas again!”

_‘You don’t know that for sure until you let me out. I might have changed while I’ve been locked inside you.’_

“Liar!”

“You called?”

His heart stopped.


	4. Chapter 4

An entire week passed without hide or hair of Virgil. The others were growing increasingly worried. Again there had been no impression he still existed other than Thomas claiming he was still doing his job. They were gearing up to force Thomas to send them into his room when he opened his door and walked out as if nothing had happened.

“Virgil?” Roman asked warily, the other two crowded around him as they stared at the fourth member of their group. He didn’t look very different, only a little tired.

“Did you sail the farthest stars?” Patton asked, voice shaking slightly. The whole group was on edge after his long disappearance and couldn’t shake the feeling easily.

“To Rome and back again,” Virgil answered easily.

“Even with the winds in London?” Patton pressed, still not completely convinced.

“The fairies gave me guidance.”

“Oh, Virgil!” Patton cried, throwing his arms around the other. “You have to stop going away like that and leaving us to worry about you!”

“I promise that I won’t do that again.”

* * *

He knocked on the door and waited a customary five seconds for a response but none came. He knocked again but still nothing. Something wasn’t sitting well with him and he wanted to investigate it thoroughly so, after a quick glance around, he pushed the door open and slipped inside.

Never had he seen a room in such a state before and he looked around swiftly, trying to take it all in.

The curtains around Virgil’s bed had been torn to shreds, the scraps laying in pieces on top of haphazard clothes on the floor. All of the photographs behind the bed had been torn to bits and the lights on the bedposts were lost in the mess on the ground. His black dresser was laying on its side, two drawers hanging out but the other four laying randomly around the room. The top of it was missing completely and the back had been bashed in. At least a dozen holes were punched into the wall with plaster or plywood hanging out of the mouths or near the baseboard. The silver-framed mirror on the wall only had a single sliver of glass still hanging in it while the rest had smashed into jagged fragments all over the carpet.

“It’s not nice to invade people’s rooms,” a voice called from behind him. “Or have you not gotten to that chapter of your ‘how to be human’ book yet?”

Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Virgil standing in front of the door. There were four deep scratches across the wood of the door that looked familiar to something he had seen recently.

“Very amusing,” he replied. “What has happened to your room?”

The other shrugged.

“I got frustrated one day after Deceit tried to infiltrate us and guess I didn’t handle it well. I haven’t cleaned it up yet.”

“Indeed,” Logan murmured, still thinking.

He turned back and saw the mirror again. Something still wasn’t adding up for him.

Suddenly he remembered where he had seen four perfectly spaced scratches like that before and moved closer to the mirror, trying to put some distance between himself and the other. Looking into the mirror he noticed the extra locks on the door and how all of them had been locked.

_‘This was a trick,’_ he realized. _‘He knew I would come inspect the room and that I couldn’t get out without Thomas or Virgil. I have to get to the door or I’m trapped.’_

Trying to appear nonchalant, he attempted to edge his way towards the door but the other remained firmly fixed in place.

“I would not waste your time with that,” the younger taunted. “I would be working on trying to stay calm.”

His breathing slowly grew more rapid and his thoughts more wild as he began to panic. He couldn’t stay here very long. They were all affected by Virgil’s room and it wasn’t safe to stay in here more than a few minutes at a time.

“Is something wrong, Logan?” Virgil asked in a sickly sweet tone. “You don’t seem to be feeling too well.”

“Let me out,” he tried to demand.

“Why?”

“You know perfectly well why!”

His head was starting to spin.

_‘Take deep breaths. It’s going to be okay. He can’t keep you in here forever._ ’ He swayed as his eyes started to roll back into his head. A quiet laugh rang in his ears. _‘Sit down. It will help.’_ He listened to the voice. He wasn’t sure if it was his own anymore or not but he did feel a little better. _‘Try to keep a level head. Think of a problem and solve it. An airplane accelerates down a runway at 3.20 m/s 2 for 32.8 s until is finally lifts off the ground. Determine the distance traveled before takeoff.’_

Nothing came to him. Normally a simple problem like that would have been solved in mere minutes but all his mind could conjure was a picture of an airplane.

Virgil came to sit next to him, holding his hand.

“How long…” He paused for thirty seconds. A minute. Time seemed to pass far too quickly, his mind couldn’t keep up. “How long are you going to keep me here?”

The anxious boy smiled at him.

“Only until you absolutely can’t stand it anymore,” he replied with a wide grin. Logan started to open his mouth. “And no that hasn’t happened yet. I’ll know when you’ve had enough. I want you to still be aware for the fun ahead.”

Colors started swirling, seeming to change before his eyes. Nothing made sense. He wanted out. He wanted out!

_‘Keep trying! You have to fight this! You have to be there to help the others to warn and protect the others!’_

_‘Protecting is Roman’s job…’_ he thought wearily.

_‘It can be your job too!’_ the voice shot back. _‘He’s going to need all the help he can! Now think! Think of another problem! 2a+3=7. Solve for ‘a’.’_

Again, an incredibly effortless problem. One he could have solved in seconds and he couldn’t do it. His mind only supplied him with a small image of a goose.

_‘Please!’_ the voice seemed to beg. _‘Please don’t give up! What comes next in the pattern? Green, green, yellow, green, green?’_

“Banana!” Logan screamed out, tearing his hair out in his madness.

Virgil sighed sadly and patted the back of his hand.

“Not yet, buddy.”

Grasping his head, he pulled his knees up to his chest and started rocking back and forth. Bits of glass cut into his pants and tears started to run down his face. He didn’t know what to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Virgil has lured Logan into his room in order to use the effects of the room against him. But why would he be doing something like that to one of his friends?
> 
> I'm one of those people who believes that Logan has emotions, he just doesn't understand them so when they're ramped up, they're incredibly powerful and dangerous weapons against him.
> 
> Again, the code is just nonsense that is made up at midnight when I'm sleep deprived.


	5. Chapter 5

“Has anyone seen Logan lately?” Patton asked, nerves betraying his concern. The trio were sitting together in the living room, each immersed in their own activities but paused and focused on him when he spoke. “He’s missed dinner with us for the last two days.”

“You know that he gets wrapped up in his work and forgets about ‘less important’ things like that,” Roman replied with a laugh. “And he’s really been distracted by his new pet project.”

“Yeah and we don’t always see him eat since you practically forced him to install that fridge in his room to make him stop skipping meals.”

“I guess that’s true,” the older responded, still feeling unsure.

“Hey, Pat,” Virgil began. “He’s probably going to be dead to the world for a while so the three of us should do something. I would invite him but you know you can’t drag him away from his work for anything so might as well leave him to it and enjoy ourselves, yeah?”

A beaming smile instantly spread across the creative Side’s face.

“Wonderful idea!” He clapped his hands together suddenly and pointed at the others. “I know! Let’s have a picnic!”

Shrugging, Virgil agreed and started off to prepare but Patton made him pause.

“I like that idea but I really think we should try to see if Logan wants to come. He might say no but there’s also the possibility he could say yes. And at the very least it’s polite to invite him along.”

Rolling his eyes, Virgil tried not to sound patronizing as he responded, “Yes it’s polite but he really doesn’t appreciate being interrupted. And it’s even worse when he’s interrupted just for something that doesn’t interest him and he instantly says no to.”

The oldest Side still seemed to pause but followed the other two as they walked to the kitchen to prepare for the picnic.

* * *

“Kiddos, it would be awfully helpful if you took care of the dishes. I’m going to put the blanket and the basket back in my room, alright?”

The pair agreed quietly and Patton slowly walked up to his room. The picnic had been enjoyable, but something had been nagging at him, something seemed off. He was going to put up the supplies and then confer with Logan about his unusual feeling before going back to the other two. His room only made him feel more melancholy and on edge so he felt a bit of relief when he stepped back into the hall after the supplies had been carefully put away. He had saved some of the leftover food for Logan and was carrying them on a plate.

The relief immediately vanished as he saw Virgil laying against the doorframe of his own black door. The younger’s arms were gripping his stomach tightly. He hurried to his side.

“Virgil! What’s wrong?”

“D-Deceit!”

Patton’s heartbeat sped up. How? How could he have gotten in? They were being so careful! Their code system was working so well! This must be why he was feeling anxious.

“What happened?”

“H-He a-attacked m-me!” Virgil’s head fell back against the dark wood and his eyes locked onto Patton’s, tears filling them. Pulling his hand away, he showed a gaping wound that blood was oozing out of and joining the puddle on his lap. “I-It h-hurts s-so b-bad!”

Starting to panic at the sight of so much lost blood and the near terrified tone in the younger’s voice, Patton quickly set the plate on the ground. His arm was carefully wrapped around Virgil’s shoulders and he pulled him to his feet, trying to ignore the pained groan as he did so. The door was thrown open and he led him over to his bed and helped him lay down.

“I’ll go get some bandages from Logan’s room!”

“N-No! T-Too f-far!” Virgil panted weakly, pointing at his dresser. “B-Bottom drawer…”

“Good idea!”

The moral Side was halfway through reaching for the bandages in the drawer when his senses started catching up with his adrenaline. Pausing, he looked around the other’s perfectly made room. It looked no different than the last time he had seen it. There were the same dirty clothes in the same spots, the pillows had been knocked to the ground to the same spot, and even the small knickknacks were in the exact same spot as he had seen them last Thursday. It was almost as if he was looking at a memory of the room.

And thinking back to the hallway, nothing there seemed to have been disturbed yet in front of him was a Virgil who was acting like he was on the brink of death. How could this be? There was no way that he would let Deceit attack him without fighting back. And there was no way an injury like that would have been a surprise.

He gasped as it clicked.

“How long have you been here?” he asked quietly as he turned to face the imposter.

Virgil clutched his stomach, rolling in agony.

“We can talk later, Pat! Bring the bandages before I die!”

The other refused to move.

“Tell me, Deceit. How long have you been here, pretending to be Virgil? And what did you do to Logan and the real Virgil?”

Instantly the wound disappeared and ‘Virgil’ sat up on the bed.

“Oh not long this time, Patty,” he answered with a laugh. “And your friends? Well…Logan is getting to know himself…” He laughed again before stopping suddenly and glaring. “I must confess I’m not sure how you figured out that I’m not the real Virgil. Logan couldn’t figure it out fast enough to save himself and he’s meant to be the smart one of you three.” Virgil stood up and walked toward Patton who had trapped himself in a corner. The glare deepened, eyes burning with hatred as he began to yell. “I portrayed your precious Virgil the way the sniveling brat is! Nothing like the true Anxiety! You’ll see soon enough!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Deceit has now gotten to Patton as well. Is Roman safe? Will he figure out that the Virgil with him is an imposter before it's too late?
> 
> Sorry about the long delay between chapters. I've had things planned out for several chapters, with an upcoming one being the first that I wrote, but I've been moving, unpacking, being sick, and working like crazy. Thank goodness for holidays to give you a break and get some writing done!


	6. Chapter 6

Coming back downstairs, Virgil found Roman had finished cleaning the dishes from the picnic and was just putting the last few away. As he closed the cupboard after the final one, he turned and jumped at seeing the other casually sitting at the dining table.

“Oh, Virgil! I didn’t notice you come back. How nice of you to slip off and leave me with all the work.”

The younger side shrugged and leaned back in his chair, resting his feet on its surface.

“I just went to talk to Patton. He seemed down after the picnic and I wanted to check on him.” The royal paused, regarding him. “He said that he’s going to relax for the rest of the day and keep an eye on Logan.”

Roman dried his hands as he crossed to slip into a seat across from Virgil.

“He has been really worried about Logan lately. Hopefully that helps him feel better.”

The pair sat quietly for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. Roman was trying to keep a bitter taste out of his mouth, a rising feeling of anxiety that he wasn’t used to was starting to swell in his stomach. He wasn’t sure what was causing it and was focused on trying to quell it before it affected him too greatly. Virgil was watching him discreetly from under his hood, gauging the best time to speak up and finally pull the last Side away from their safe area.

“Hey,” he began in a hesitant voice. The other’s head shot up to look at him. “We haven’t had a day for just the two of us before. We don’t get along the best so maybe we should hang out and try to…I don’t know…make that better…? You know, while Patton is resting and Logan is working?”

Pausing, Roman considered the suggestion. He didn’t expect Virgil to extend an olive branch between them. _‘Take it!’_ he heard a voice that sounded too much like Patton to ignore. He suddenly noticed that the mounting feelings of anxiety started to fade at the idea of spending time with the darker Side.

“That sounds wonderful,” he answered smoothly. “What should we do? I know make overs are off the table right now but there are plenty of other things we can do.”

Virgil ducked his head and muttered, “I actually had an idea. I was hoping we could go to the Imagination? I’ve never been and thought you could show me around?”

Instantly Roman brightened and shot to his feet. “What a great idea! Let’s go!” Grabbing the other’s wrist, he led them to his own room excitedly. The door to Roman’s room was opened and they dashed down a maze of corridors until the pair stopped in front of a pair of massive ruby red doors at the end of a hallway. “Here we are! Why don’t you do the honors?” he asked with a short bow, stepping back. Cautiously stepping forward, he gently pushed on the sturdy wood of the door. The door remained firmly closed however. “That’s strange. I thought for sure I had told the door about you?” He tapped his chin as he pondered. “Well you’ve never been inside so I suppose I forgot to actually do it and thought I had.” Smiling easily, he turned around. “I’ll fix it next time.” The two switched places and Roman pushed the door open, showing an expansive meadow before them. Once they stepped inside, the door closed behind them.

“What was all that with the door?” Virgil asked as they started walking through the field, grass brushing their ankles with a whisper.

“Oh, we can’t let just anyone into Thomas’ Imagination,” Roman explained. “The door can’t be opened unless I’ve trained the door to recognize them. It wouldn’t do for Deceit or any of his friends to get in, right? Who knows what they would do to Thomas.”

“Yeah. Good plan.” Glancing over his shoulder, Virgil stopped. “So can you show me what this place can do? Can it build a castle?”

“Of course!”

The basis of a grand castle sprang out of the ground and rapidly started building itself. Within moments they were standing in the shadow of a magnificent fortress. With a look at each other, they entered and started looking around the interior of the building. No people were around to occupy the castle but the space was still filled with plenty of ornate furniture.

“Wow. This is pretty impressive.”

“You should have come here sooner. This is barely breaking a sweat for the Imagination. Figuratively speaking of course.”

Pausing, Virgil stroked his chin.

“So it would be able to create a dragon for you to fight? You always say you can use that sword of yours but I have yet to see you use it for anything more than decoration,” he taunted with a smirk.

Roman grinned back, rising to the challenge.

“You want to see a dragon? I’ll show you a dragon!”

A dragon suddenly rose from the floor in front of them and roared loudly. Virgil clapped his hands over his ears at the sound before watching Roman summon his sword and swing fiercely at the beast. Removing his hands, he used some of his own power to make the dragon seem deadlier than it was. Roman sensed the change in the fight and backed up quickly.

“Virgil, we have to move! This isn’t where we can win this fight!”

“Good idea! Follow me!”

Darting away, Virgil ran further into the castle with Roman close behind. Occasionally he heard the sound of the sword hitting flesh or castle wall. With Roman sufficiently distracted, he led them down to the dungeons.

“Virgil?” Roman called, unsure.

“Trust me! I have a plan! Lead it into a cell and I’ll get you out!”

Nodding, Roman dove into an open cell while Virgil stayed out of his way. As soon as Roman was in, Virgil shoved the heavy cell door closed and made the dragon disappear.

“You’re right,” Roman forced out between gasps for breath. “That was too much for your first trip here. Best to stop it there.” He walked over to the door with a beaming smile on his face, delighted by the adventure the pair had just taken together. “Now pull the door open and let’s go get some dinner. Patton and Logan might want to join us this time.” But Virgil just stood on the other side of the door, staring at him. “Virgil?”

The name seemed to snap the other out of his trance and he fiddled with the key in the lock.

“I was thinking,” he started slowly. “Why do we have to stop there? We could just change the story a little.”

“Maybe another time, V. I’m ready for a shower and food.” The anxious Side turned the key in the lock and pulled it out, hanging it on a hook on the far wall. “Virgil, let me out.” Roman spoke clearly and in a calm voice. His fellow Side was acting strange and it was making him incredibly nervous but he couldn’t let it show. “It’s time to go home.”

Virgil sensed his unease and grinned a smile full of a cruel satisfaction.

“I already told you, Roman. Not right now.” He reached through the bars and placed his hands on the older’s stronger chest. “Good night, Roman.”

“Wait-!” He pushed and Roman flew across the room, slamming his head against the unyielding stone wall behind him. His vision started to swim but as it nearly darkened completely he saw one of the other’s eyes glowing a bright yellow.


	7. Chapter 7

Slowly Roman opened his eyes and peered through the near blackness. The last thing he remembered was agreeing to accompany Virgil around the Imagination and-Virgil! A glowing yellow eye flashed through his mind. Once again Deceit had stolen Virgil’s appearance and fooled him! How could he have fallen for it a second time?

Wait. If he had mistaken Deceit for Virgil did the others as well?

“Patton! Logan!” he cried into the darkness, desperately hoping for an answer. As much as he did not want the other two to have befallen his fate, he did not want to be alone.

“Roman?” a voice he recognized as Patton’s called back. “He got you too…”

 “What does he want?”

Light suddenly flooded the room as a door opened. The familiar, yet still unwelcome, figure of Deceit strolled in with a twisted grin on his face. The addition of the light allowed the Sides to study their surroundings after blinking quickly.

The room was nearly bare. The large stone room was divided into three tiny cells, only large enough to hold a Side as well as a blanket and a bucket for comforts.

“Why so rude, Roman?” Deceit trilled, walking up to his cell.

Roman had been distracted by the light and had looked around quickly. Upon noticed his bare furnishings and how close the other was, he conjured his sword and grabbed the trickster by his lapels with his other hand.

“This is unacceptable! You capture us and do not even provide proper beds?! I demand you release us before I put this sword through your stomach! You have no right to hold us!”

Not even a breath passed before Deceit threw his head back and howled with laughter.

“I would check your hands before you make such comments.”

Confused, the other did so and noticed that he had not conjured his sword. He tried again but it did not come. Startled, he sharply raised his head to glare at Deceit.

“What trick have you cast on me?”

“I am not Delirium, child. Remember where you are.” He turned to the middle cell. “If you are still lost, which I am sure you are with a brain as large as yours, ask the scholar.”

Roman turned to Logan and he explained in a tired voice, “We are on their side of the Mindscape. We cannot conjure here. That is why they feel no fear in letting us walk around in these minuscule cages.”

“Correct!” He backed away suddenly and inspected his gloves. “Incidentally, do any of you know poor Virgil’s greatest fear?”

All of them kept their mouths firmly closed, unwilling to give away any information that would let this man hurt their friend.

“Oh quit it. I already know so tell me before I use it against him later.”

“L-Losing his friends!” Patton blurted out.

Deceit laughed.

“Oh Patton, that’s precious! And so wrong!” He walked over to Patton. “No, proud Patton. That is number two on his list. Number one was any of you finding out about Anxiety.” They all stared at him, completely confused. “You think you know Anxiety?” Deceit drawled, grin still firmly on his face. “Ha! The Side that came crawling to you, barely alive, is nothing of the true Anxiety.” Deceit pulled a broken pocket watch out and checked the time. “Oh and look at that. Your present should be arriving soon.” Roman tried to ask about their ‘present’ but Deceit glared at him and he felt himself silenced. Apparently his power was stronger here since neither of their hands moved. The door opened again and a Side wearing a red leather jacket tugged something into the room by a thick strip of leather. “There we are,” the deceiver said in a low voice, eyes shining in corrupt glee as he snatched the leather out of the other’s hand. “This will be fun. You all know that Anxiety is a Dark Side, yes?”

“He was!” Patton yelled, voice strained.

“No dear Patton, he always has been. You cannot change him into one of you just by allowing him to live in your quarters. It is not so simple. He will always be one of us which you cannot understand since you have never seen the real Anxiety. Your pathetic _Virgil_ is nothing compared to the true Anxiety.” He walked forward, using the strip of leather to drag the thing behind him. “A long time ago Anxiety was the most powerful of us all. He could bend anyone to his will. He was a rabid beast with no care over who he hurt. Then he starting growing a conscious and turned into your sniveling brat as he tried to hide his true self away. The more time he spent with you all, the more he was corrupted from his true form.” The man glared and hissed at them all. “We wanted him back. We wanted him back but _controlled_. He was a monster before.” The thing was pushed up to the bars of all of the cells and the three inside leapt back reflexively. “I’ve managed to do just that.”

It was clearly a man and while they could see Thomas in his appearance, it was only because they knew their creator so well. This man was wild. His hair was far longer than Thomas ever allowed his to grow and hadn’t seen a brush or shampoo in weeks. A thick cloak was thrown over his shoulders made out of a rich, violet velvet and a clasp of silver held it together. The cloak seemed to be in good repair while his shirt and pants were not. His clothes were torn and hung off him which revealed dozens of savage scars running all over his arms and legs. He did not wear shoes and they could see long claws growing out of his toes instead of toenails; a quick peak at his hands showed a similar situation. A strong odor emanated from him that none of the three were too fond of and all covered their noses. The beast opened its mouth to growl at them which allowed them to discover that its mouth was full of an endless amount of razor sharp teeth. The most noticeable feature about this man however was his eyes; they glowed purple and both were slit vertically like Deceit’s yellow one.

“We kept his old outfit in case he ever returned to us,” Deceit explained as he fondly stroked the beast’s arm. “His other self, the weakling, the one that ran away with guilt, left it behind. I was amazed it still fit after all these years. Now he lives in that ugly hoodie instead of this beautiful outfit we designed for him.”

“Who…is this neanderthal…?” Logan asked slowly, unable to see any of their friend in the thing in front of them.

Deceit approached Logan, dragging the beast behind him.

“Why Logan, don’t be so rude! Don’t you recognize your dear friend, Anxiety?”

“Don’t lie to us!” Roman yelled. “That is not Virgil!”

Frowning slightly, the yellow-eyed man turned to the dreamer.

“Of course it’s not,” he replied. “I have already told you as much. The ‘Virgil’ you know is a figment. This is his true self. He created that persona to escape this.” He turned to regard the beast again. “I am not sure why. I do prefer this version of him. Quieter, follows orders, doesn’t run away, less depressing.” With a slight shrug, he faced the others again and noticed that they hadn’t moved away from the backs of their cells. “Darlings you really shouldn’t be afraid of his appearance. His bite is far worse than his bark.”

“I refuse to believe that is any form of Virgil. You are fabricating this fairy tale in an attempt to scare us and control us. This is just another Side that we are unfamiliar with and you are using that information to your own advantage.”

Grinning, Deceit turned back to the scholar and spoke to him in a serious tone, “Tell me, have his eyes ever shined just a tad purple or his voice started to echo? Has he excused himself suddenly and not come back for hours or days?” He leaned forward as his grin widened. “That is him trying desperately, oh so desperately, to quell this beast inside him. He doesn’t want to let it out. He doesn’t want to let it hurt you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We have finally learned what Deceit was doing with the others and what happened to Virgil. Or did we?


	8. Chapter 8

The trio stared at the beast, refusing to believe.

“You are a liar, Deceit. It’s what you do,” Logan whispered. “You cannot force us to accept that something so insane. We have known Virgil for a long time, before he was even using the name ‘Virgil’ and was still using the moniker ‘Anxiety’. We know who Anxiety and Virgil are, and that is not either of them.”

“Muffins, listen to me. You know nothing about Anxiety. You know nothing about Virgil before he came to you. You thought that you had saved him when he turned up on your doorstep, half dead. You thought that you had saved him from us who had been treating him oh so horribly! But the truth is, you saved us from him! You saved us from the monster who has always been lurking just under the skin, waiting for his chance to strike once more. To bury your precious Virgil like _he_ had been buried for years and get his revenge. You had no idea that you were living with a time bomb who was trying so hard to go off, to come after you. Who Virgil struggled to keep repressed within himself so that he could stay Virgil and not Anxiety so that he wouldn’t hurt you. Even in the beginning when you didn’t fully trust him, he was working to keep you safe!” Deceit laughed maniacally. “And now all that effort is wasted! Anxiety roams free once more! Your worthless Virgil is the one lost and since we have control over Anxiety this time, there’s no telling if he’ll ever surface again!” Turning, he tugged sharply on the strip of leather that they had realized by this point was a leash, and started for the door. “You will see soon enough. He is oh so eager to play with all of you.”

With a grin they left.

“That can’t be Virgil,” Roman began as soon as the door closed. “He must have hidden him in another room so he can flaunt that beast in our faces and declare him to be Virgil in his attempt to scare us. Who knows what he wants this time but if we believe his lies, he’ll get it.”

“But what if it’s not a lie this time?” the moral Side murmured sadly. “He was right about Virgil’s behavior and Virgil has spent more of his life with Deceit and the others than he has with us. We don’t know that much about him. He won’t tell us about the time before he turned up.”

“That is true,” Logan replied. “He hides his past so fiercely that we can only assume he underwent some major trauma. We know that whatever caused him to seek us out must have been quite dire given the state in which he arrived. He would not even enlighten us back then, before certain people were clear in their intents to remove him.”

Across the room, Roman frowned.

“Hold up. I let him stay, didn’t I?”

“Not without a fair bit of fight.”

“I wasn’t going to send him back to wherever he came from when he was that hurt!” the royal protested. “It was only after we found out where it was that he actually _had_ come from that I wanted to send him back,” he finished quietly.

“Do we believe Deceit?” Patton interrupted, silencing the scholar before he could send another dig at Roman. “We have to figure that out or decide what to do about rescuing Virgil if we don’t.”

Silence echoed around the cells while the three considered everything they knew about their friend.

“I, unfortunately, judge that we must in this instance,” Logan finally admitted. “His reasons make sense and he does know more about Virgil than we do so, at least for the time being, it seems we must believe that the creature from before is some iteration of Virgil.”

* * *

Deceit dragged Anxiety along behind him and into a room, grinning the whole way.

“It’s so sad that you chose to bury him, Virgil,” he called to the beast as he forced it to stop. “He has been sorely missed around here.” The man in red from earlier stepped forward and approached Anxiety. Using several cords, he tied him to several hooks buried in the floor so he could no longer move no matter how much he struggled. “Thank you, Warren. You are dismissed.” The man left and Deceit began to walk around Anxiety, testing the knots. When he was satisfied, he stopped and stared directly into the purple eyes, face calm. “I know you are in there, Virgil,” he said quietly. “Anxiety would never be as cruel as you were. He would never bury you like you did to him. He would want you to watch and be aware of all the things he does.”

When he finished speaking, Deceit retreated to a chair and watched. Anxiety was complacent, standing perfectly still in his bindings as if they didn’t exist. They were both waiting; Anxiety for an order and Deceit for his theory to be tested.

Minutes ticked by slowly with neither moving, simply staring at each other.

Suddenly Anxiety started thrashing about and Deceit grinned again. The muscles flexed as he tried violently to free himself. The cords stretched and twisted but did not give. His head reared back and he yelled in fury, teeth bared. He kept slamming his body around for a few more minutes until his strength gave out and his chin dropped to his chest. Light panting could be heard in the otherwise silent room.

Standing slowly, he stepped over to the other man and lightly grasped his face. A quiet noise of protest was heard but he ignored it and raised the head to meet his eyes. Weak brown eyes tiredly met his gaze, shame and anger swimming in them.

“Ah, Virgil,” he greeted with amusement. “How lovely to see you. You need to thank Anxiety for letting you come out and talk to me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I sincerely apologize for the long break between the last chapter and this one. Things have been chaotic and I haven't been able to just sit down and write anything since I last uploaded. I never forgot the story and I still have the same ideas for it so hopefully there will not be such a long wait for the next one.


	9. Chapter 9

“What do you want, Deceit?” Virgil asked in a tired whisper. He had been fighting against Anxiety’s hold for days and now Deceit simply instructed the other to let him be in charge? That didn’t make sense no matter how you looked at it. He needed to know what the other was planning.

“Can’t I be nice and let you have a break once in a while?”

“No,” he replied flatly.

The other laughed.

“Always so cynical. I just wanted to talk to you and you jump all over me.” He shook his head in exasperation. “Why, it’s like every other meeting we have!”

“Get to the point already.”

“So eager to go back under?” The feeling of being trapped by darkness, held down by Anxiety’s control, suddenly washed over him and he quickly shook his head. “That’s what I thought. Now be a good boy and listen or Anxiety gets his turn again. He’s being patient now but who knows how long he can wait after you made him wait all those years.” Deceit sighed before continuing. “You are going to help me control Thomas. Anxiety and Deceit will work hand in hand once more.”

“No. I left here for that exact reason. I am not going to let you hurt Thomas again.”

Deceit pouted dramatically and walked over to the wall in front of Virgil.

“You don’t want me to hurt Thomas? Whoever said I would be hurting him? We’re going to just let the others take a break and make the decisions instead. They work _so_ hard and can use a break, don’t you agree?”

“No,” he repeated. “I know what you want and I refuse to help you.”

“Well then listen to this,” the deceiver began and held up three fingers. “You can choose to willingly help me.” He put down a finger. “You can choose to go away, not be aware of any of this and let Anxiety do it for you.” He put down a second finger. “Or you can choose to help me because you think you’re a ‘Good Side’ now.” Virgil glared at him. Was that last option just a taunt? Deceit knew that he would never help him willingly and he would never let Anxiety do it in his place. “Let me rephrase that last one for you,” Deceit stated as he turned on some monitors stationed on the wall in front of them. “You can help me because you don’t want them to get hurt.”

“What?” Confused as to what the other was talking about, he looked up. And instantly wished he hadn’t. “Why are they here?!” he demanded, furious to see the images of Logan, Patton, and Roman sitting in their tiny cells.

“To make sure you cooperate,” Deceit answered simply. “No harm has been dealt to any part of them that I can reach since you disappeared on them. _Yet._ Now which do you choose?”

Jerking his head to the side, the thick, violet cloak covering his shoulders caught Virgil’s eye.

“Get this thing off me,” he ordered, thrashing around once more in an attempt to throw it to the floor.

“Stop avoiding the question, muffin.” The other turned his back to the monitors and stepped to his side. “We both know He’s getting _anxious_ and wants his turn.” He roughly grabbed the bound Side’s shoulder, forcing him to remain still once more, and glared at him. “ _Pick before I pick for you._ ”

* * *

“Yeah, sounds cool!” Thomas called cheerily, bright smile on his face. “I can’t wait!”

He waved to his friends as they walked away and securely locked the door before leaning against it with a heavy sigh. Something was off. He should be feeling pumped about all the progress they had just made and the thought of the ideas they have just created but instead he just felt…nothing. It had started a few hours ago but he didn’t want to startle his friends with a sudden change in attitude so he just attempted to act like his normal self and hide it as best he could until he left. Now he could wonder what had changed.

He hadn’t felt like this in over a year. Things were going so well for him right now, there was no reason for this feeling to be back. His work was improving and getting more recognition every day, his health was in one of the best spots it had ever been both mentally and physically, and he was doing much better at balancing his work and his home life. There shouldn’t be anything pushing him to feel this way. He tried to think back to the last time he remembered feeling like this.

A sudden thought popped in his head: Patton! Patton could help him through any emotional distress. Why hadn’t he thought to talk to the other straight away? He might even know the cause of his unfeeling. And if he didn’t then Virgil might have an idea and if he called on Patton the darker Side was likely to pop up if he had any thoughts he needed to share, whether he wanted to divulge them or not.

Closing his eyes, he concentrated on the happy-go-lucky Side and focused on bringing him into the space with him. Within seconds the other appeared, grinning carelessly.

“What’s up? Something you want to talk about…?” he asked in a kind voice, his face taking a softer expression as he noticed the slight worry on his double’s.

“I’m just feeling a bit…of nothing…” he explained, biting his lip and looking at the floor. “I was kinda wondering if you were feeling the same way…?”

As he finished his question, he peeked up at Patton with a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

“You’re feeling nothing?” the Side asked, trying to clarify. “Like you’re not feeling sadness or anxiety, just nothing at all?” Thomas nodded. “Hmm, well that’s a thinker because I feel fine. I could see why you would want to call me about this but I was just having a great day so I’m not sure what’s going on.”

“Do you think Virgil might know?”

Patton tapped a finger against his lip as he thought.

“Hmm…you know, I’m not sure. You said you weren’t feeling any anxiety so maybe he went away again?”

“No, I still felt emotions then. I just acted like an idiot.”

Shrugging, he replied, “Well if it’ll make you feel better then why don’t you call him and see what he has to say?”

“I’m…I’m worried something happened to him like before,” Thomas admitted in a whisper.

Patton reached over and placed a comforting hand on his arm.

“Then why don’t you call him and see if he’s alright? That might make you feel better.”

Taking a deep breath, Thomas nodded and summoned the other Side. The pair waited quietly for a few moments before the Side appeared before them.

“Virgil, are you okay?”

The anxious Side yawned before glowering at the pair of them.

“Of course I am. I was sleeping.”

“Sorry, I was just worried that something had happened to you again.” He put his head in his hands. “I was a wreck last time that happened and I can’t go through something like that again.” While Thomas’ face was hidden Virgil shot Patton a begging look but he just frowned and curtly shook his head. “But you’re here and you’re fine so that can’t be what this is.” He raised his head and smiled weakly at the Side in front of him. “Right, Virgil?”

Thomas didn’t notice Patton nod his head.

“What else would I be?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something is starting to affect Thomas but luckily he has Patton and Virgil there to puzzle it out with, right?


	10. Chapter 10

“That went well, kiddo!” Patton cried, hugging Virgil tightly as they reappeared in the Mindscape. He cheered their success and looped an arm around the other Side’s shoulder, keeping him close. With a smile he pat the top of Virgil’s head with his free hand. “Thomas doesn’t suspect anything and as long as we keep it that way he won’t even go looking for the others! This is a perfect start!”

Glaring, Virgil shoved ‘Patton’ away from him.

“Don’t touch me as him,” he snarled, forcefully tugging his hood over his head. A slight feeling of calm spread through him as the material blocked the imposter from his vision and let him feign an extra layer of protection from the other Side. He wished he had his headphones to block out all the noises produced on this side of the Mindscape but at least Deceit hadn’t taken his hoodie since he required it to convince Thomas he was truly himself. “And leave me alone. I did want you wanted. I’m done now.”

The fake Patton leaned toward him, a playfully curious expression on his face.

“Do you not like me pretending to be your favorite of the _Light Sides?_ ” the deceiver taunted with a grin. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell the other two!” Determined to ignore him, Virgil began to stomp out of the room. He needed space from the other to clear his head and mentally distance himself from all the lies he had just told Thomas. Then he could start thinking of ways to fix things and how to apologize to him once he had gotten everyone out of this mess. Unfortunately, he only managed to take a couple steps before Patton popped up in front of him. “And where do you think you’re going, young man?”

“Away from you,” he shot back bitterly. “I thought that was obvious or are you blind in both eyes, snake boy?”

Patton crossed his arms over his chest, frowning disapprovingly. The look didn’t fit on such a normally happy, carefree face. Virgil was suddenly struck with the need to replace it with a more suiting expression then stamped the thought down when he remembered that the ‘Patton’ in front of him wasn’t the real Patton. It was just Deceit using his appearance to draw the ‘proper responses’ from both him and Thomas.  

“That wasn’t very nice, Virgil. Is it time for Anxiety to have his turn again or can you behave?”

The threat made him bite his lip and whip his head to side, sufficiently cowed for the moment. He couldn’t let Anxiety be given charge again for both the safety of his friends and so he could plan. Biting back a snarky remark, he shook his head with shame burning in his stomach. He hated that just a single statement could shut him up and make him lose all fight.

“Fine,” he forced out in a controlled voice after a few moments. “Is my room still here or did you all repurpose it when I left?”

“Oh it’s still here, kiddo, but you haven’t proven yourself trustful enough to have it back yet so I’ve prepared another room for you instead.” When Virgil’s head darted up to look at him, he added, “And I wasn’t sure Anxiety was ready to go back to that room either so it’s not just you.” Grabbing a firm hold of Virgil’s arm, he led the pair of them down the hall. “It’s this way.”

“Go back to your own form already,” Virgil demanded, hating seeing Patton’s hand touching him. The real Patton wouldn’t grip him like that, it was too hard, it hurt, and he hadn’t asked first. Patton _always_  asked before touching him. He was so understanding of what Virgil needed and if he wasn’t, he asked. It was one of his best traits. It was why he had gravitated towards him in the beginning. His clumsy kindness was shared so easily.

But worse, even if he was to close his eyes and pretend Patton was next to him, holding his arm that tightly, the image of the _real_  Patton would appear in front of his eyes. The real Patton was stuck in a cell on this side of the Mindscape, locked away with Logan and Roman in their own tiny spaces. And it was all his fault. The person walking next to him was _not_ Patton and never would be, no matter how much he tried to pretend he was.

“Alright, jeez. Calm down.” They stopped and in an instant Deceit was standing beside him instead of Patton. “Touchy aren’t you, muffin?” With the anxious Side sated, they began walking again until they reached a metal door that Deceit pulled open. He stood back and gestured for Virgil to walk ahead of him. “This will be your room. Only temporarily if you behave yourself. I know your old room was much nicer.”

He cast a glare at the other before walking into the rather small room and looking around. It was similar to the cells that the others were currently residing in and showed how much trust Deceit currently had in him.

“This is it?” he asked in shock, turning to stare at the Side in the doorway in disbelief.

“Yep, you get the deluxe cell! It’s twice as big as the ones your friends have and your bed has the luxury of having a mattress!” Deceit explained, pointing at the flimsy lump that straw was sticking out of at odd angles. “We gave you the big one because we thought that Anxiety might want some space to stretch out.” He stepped into the hallway. “Now do whatever you want. Dinner will be provided…at sometime…I’m not sure when actually, that’s one of Warren’s duties, but when I come back I’ll have your first assignment. You can either help me or let Anxiety take care of it. I’ll work with whoever is waiting for me.”

With that he let the door slam shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that new episode was something, wasn't it? I had been close to finishing this chapter for quite a while (like months) but when you can't force yourself to just sit down and finish it, it's hard to just get it done. But that new episode showed us a character that may or may not appear later on in the story. I think I've decided but I'm not going to say one way or the other in case that changes.


End file.
